Five reasons the New England Patriots will win Super Bowl LX

While the Seahawks are an early 4.5-point favorite, here are five reasons why the sequel in Santa Clara will have the same ending.

Patriots defense is on an elite run

New England is allowing 8.7 points per game in the playoffs, tied with the 1982 Miami Dolphins for the second-fewest among 22 teams in the Super Bowl era that needed three wins to reach the big game and only trailing the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who allowed 5.3 points per game.

The run defense has been superb, with the Patriots' AFC playoff opponents averaging 71.3 rushing yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry. The pass rush has also been effective, with New England totaling 12 sacks, including at least three in each game.

New England's caught some breaks along the way, such as getting a broken-down Los Angeles Chargers offensive line in the wild-card, a subpar Texans offense in the divisional round and Denver's backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham in a snowstorm. The Seahawks, led by quarterback Sam Darnold (who is infamous for "saw ghosts" against New England early in his pro career), will unquestionably be the Patriots' toughest test. But New England won't lack confidence after convincingly shutting down its first three playoff opponents.

Quarterback Drake Maye is showing maturity beyond his years

Maye's passing numbers against the Broncos — 10-of-21 for 86 yards — were far from gaudy, but his excellent decision-making with his legs was the difference in the game. The second-year quarterback gained 65 yards on 10 carries, and he picked up a first down or touchdown on all seven of his keepers before three kneel downs in victory formation at the end of the game.

His most consequential carry came in the closing minutes on a 3rd-and-6, when Maye called his own number and came up aces.

Per Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called a safe outside zone run to Rhamondre Stevenson, but Maye improvised at the snap, holding onto the ball for a naked bootleg and picking up seven yards to move the chains. 

After the game, center Garrett Bradbury shared his stunned reaction in the moment, telling reporters, "I hit my block, and all the defenders started running the other way. I'm like, 'What? Oh my God."

It took a lot of guts for Maye to call an audible. The decision showed that at the most important moments, New England can trust him to make the right play.

Time is a flat circle 

What's old is new again.

Back in January 2002, an upstart Patriots squad with a second-year quarterback entered Super Bowl XXXVI with few giving them much of a chance over the established St. Louis Rams, who were seeking a second Lombardi Trophy in three seasons.

While these Seahawks aren't as proven as those Rams were, the parallels to this season are hard to ignore. Seattle's offense has been on red-hot, averaging 36 points per game in the playoffs, and the defense has been one of the league's best. It's hard to poke holes in the Seahawks, who look like the best team in the NFL. But that was the case 24 years ago. And we know how that ended.

The 'nobody believes in us' factor

During the postgame show, Fox studio analysts Howie Long and Michael Strahan already raised doubts about New England's ability to keep pace with Seattle's offense. Expect that to be a common refrain over the next two weeks.

Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, an Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year finalist, is the most dynamic playmaker on either side, while mid-season trade acquisition Rashid Shaheed has been the perfect vertical complement to an explosive passing attack. Running back Kenneth Walker III displayed his all-around game in Sunday's win over the Rams, finishing with 111 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 23 touches.

The Patriots will also hear about their strength of schedule — the league's easiest during the regular season (.391) — and how they've benefited from an easy playoff path. That bulletin board material can go a long way.

Coaching experience

Of the last 13 Super Bowl winners, nine have been by the team with the more experienced head coach. That favors New England.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is in his first year with the team but his seventh season overall, whereas Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is only in Year 2. 

Vrabel is great at giving his teams an edge by mastering the smaller, harder-to-quantify details. On Sunday's game-sealing interception, NFL analyst Nate Tice showed how Vrabel used the league's substitution rules to his advantage, taking as much time as possible to get defenders on the field, forcing Denver to rush the snap, impacting the sequence.

As an underdog going against the league's hottest team, every detail counts for the upset-minded Patriots. They have the right coach for the moment.